Unami Language - Syntax

Syntax

Unami is, like many Algonquian languages, polysynthetic and highly agglutinative. This means that most of the information is encoded in the verb (sometimes with whole words being incorporated into the stem), making word order more fluid than in English. Unfortunately, syntax is one of the least studied aspects of the Unami language; there is much more data on morphology, because of an especial focus on reconstructing Proto-Algonquian.

Some examples of complex sentences in Unami include:

• • ta heč tɔllí·ksi·n ne·k ma·nšá·p·iyak? (what color are those beads?)
  • še· lah ni e·k·aɔ́·kwe phɔkhakéhɔ·n ní·ša awé·ni·k (over there under the trees two people were buried)
  • mi·mə́nsak šokw təli-ahi-pe·nháto·n (but the children's footprints are numerous)
  • na hont náni tənnə́mən níkahke pi·lae·č·əč·ínka (then that's what those boys did)